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About Brian Polking - RotoBaller
I graduated from Ohio State with a BA in journalism in 2003, and I have been writing professionally about sports for a variety of print and online publications ever since. My focus shifted mainly to fantasy sports in 2007, and I have written extensively on the NFL, NBA, MLB and NASCAR. As far as my professional highlights are concerned, I was a finalist for the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Racing Writer of the Year Award in 2009 and 2011, and was chosen to write an article for USA Today's Indy at 100 magazine, honoring the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.
When I'm not writing, I am usually spending time with my wife and two children. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio where I was born and raised and grew up following and rooting for the Cincinnati Reds. One of my earliest and greatest memories about the team was being allowed to stay up late to watch Jose Rijo and company win the 1990 World Series, and one of my more painful memories was buying playoff tickets in 1995, only to watch the Atlanta Braves completely dismantle my Reds. Today, I'm fully convinced that Joey Votto and Jay Bruce will take the Reds back the top, and I'm still in denial that the San Francisco Giants won three straight games in Cincinnati two years ago to knock the Reds out of the playoffs.
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Brian Polking - RotoBaller has written 22 articles so far, you can find them below.
It's hard to believe that we are already in the final couple of months of the 2014 MLB regular season. It is now or never for those fantasy owners looking to make a move up the standings and into contention for a title, and while many of the season's top waiver wire pickups have been... Read More
It has been a little more than a week since baseball returned to action following the All-Star break, and if you failed to use the time off to make roster adjustments, it's not too late. Several players at the corner infield spots have exploded out of the break and look poised to be useful contributors... Read More
The 2014 MLB season has reached the All-Star break, and while a few days off gives the players time to regroup and recharge, it also offers fantasy owners a chance to do the same. With a couple of days off before games resume, there is no better time to take a closer look at your... Read More
There really aren't any new sleepers on this week's list of waiver wire pickups and the corner infield spots, but there are several familiar faces that I have mentioned throughout the year that continue to make a case to be owned in a variety of fantasy formats. Granted, we are getting to the point in... Read More
When it comes to the success of a particular player, the right opportunity can be just as important as the player's individual talent. When looking at this week's list of pickups at the corner infield spots, many of the players are taking advantage of the first regular playing time of their careers to put up... Read More
There are a lot of newcomers on this week's list of potential pickups at the corner infield spots as several players seeing the first regular playing time of their careers are starting to produce consistent results. Granted, there are always more question marks about an unproven player, but there is also more upside. Perhaps more... Read More
There is a healthy mix of new blood fantasy baseball sleepers, and veterans, headlining this week's list of waiver wire options at the hot corner. Perhaps more importantly, there are a few potential pickups that have a chance to help out in several offensive categories and not just one or two specific departments. Of course,... Read More
As the 2014 MLB season wears on, it is easy to assume that there just aren't any players left on the waiver wire that can make an impact. Granted, it is going to be tough to find a player that can single-handedly provide useful production in every offensive category, but that doesn't mean you can't... Read More
While this week's waiver wire pickups at the corner infield spots include some familiar faces that continue to produce and remain widely available, there are also two sleepers on the list that have yet to have play in a game in 2014. Fresh options are usually hard to come by at this point in the season... Read More
The 2014 MLB season is just past the quarter point, and as the season wears on, injuries usually start to play a factor. This year has been no exception, and in the past couple of weeks several big names at the corner infield spots have gone down with injuries, thrusting some new players into more... Read More
If you are looking for help off the waiver wire at either of the corner infield spots for your fantasy baseball team, you've come to the right place. Unless you are lucky enough to be in a league with a bunch of lazy owners, there probably aren't any sleepers or viable options still available in... Read More
There is a blend of youth and experience in this week's list of potential waiver wire pickups and sleepers at the corner infield spots, as both rookies and veterans that are widely available have been producing solid numbers so far in 2014. One of the beauties of fantasy baseball is that the player pool is... Read More
The 2014 MLB season is about a month old, and while it is getting tougher to find players on the waiver wire that can upgrade your team across the board, the pool of available talent and sleepers is far from dried up. At the corner infield positions in particular, there are plenty of players that... Read More
The 2014 MLB season is still relatively young, and while there is always plenty of action on the waiver wire in the early weeks, it’s not too late to find a quality pickup or two. This is especially true at the corner infield spots where both young players and veterans that didn’t have a lot... Read More
Top Pickups at 1B and 3B for Week 4 The 2014 MLB season is almost a month old, but it is still not too late to find help on the waiver wire. If you're looking for help at the corner infield spots, you are particularly fortunate, because injuries and even an early trade have... Read More
The 2014 MLB season is only a couple of weeks old, but it's never too early to try to strengthen your fantasy roster. In fact, being able to snatch a couple of gems or sleepers off the waiver wire may be the difference between winning and losing your leagues, especially in AL-Only or NL-Only formats.... Read More
The first week of the 2014 MLB season is in the books, and whether your fantasy team is off to a strong start or has some work to do, there is nothing wrong with trying to find sleepers and upgrade your roster. With that in mind, here is a closer look at some corner infielders... Read More
After browsing some of the spring training box scores and taking into account the overall makeup of the roster for the Cincinnati Reds, I had narrowed it down to two players that could emerge as potential fantasy baseball sleepers in 2014. Outfielder Roger Bernadina and infielder Chris Nelson were those players, and while I still... Read More
The Cincinnati Reds have won at least 90 games three times in the last four years, and a big part of the success has been drafting and developing talent such as Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Homer Bailey. However, keeping the talent at home has been costly for a middle-market team, and a farm system... Read More
The Cincinnati Reds underwhelmed as a team in 2013, finishing third in the NL Central and losing in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. However, their pitching staff emerged as one of the best in the majors. The Reds’ staff finished last season with the best WHIP in all of baseball, ranking third in... Read More
Despite playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark, the Cincinnati Reds’ lineup underwhelmed as a team in 2013. The Reds finished the year ranked 12th in the majors in runs scored, 18th in batting average and 22nd in steals. While losing an on-base machine like Shin-Soo Choo in the offseason could make it hard for Cincinnati... Read More
Fantasy Impact of the Cincinnati Reds Offseason Moves Coming off an NL Central title the year before, expectations were high for the Cincinnati Reds heading into the 2013 season. However, the team never truly found its stride, particularly at the plate. The Reds did manage to snag the second wild card spot and return to... Read More
